Is Gorilla Trekking Worth It?

Mountain gorillas can only be found in four national parks in Africa, which is Virunga national park, Volcanoes national park, Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park. They live on higher elevations of sub tropical and tropical rain-forests.

Gorillas are very calm and quite animals but can become very aggressive when they feel insecure or disturbed, they express their annoyance by beating chests, making loud hoots, moving on two leg, tearing and throwing vegetation and if the opponent does not back off with this warnings a gorilla will attack. Female mountain gorillas also fight for the safety of their loved ones if there is any danger.

Gorilla trekking is the most expensive tourist activity in Africa with Rwanda offering the most expensive gorilla permits at $1500 person, Uganda gorilla permits costs $600 person and Democratic republic of Congo offers the cheapest gorilla permits with each permit costing $400 per person and $200 during low season.

Trekking mountain gorillas is worth because you will have time of encountering your close relatives in their natural habitat as mountain gorillas cannot be seen in zoos because they can’t survive in captivity, the Batwa communities have also benefited in gorilla trekking activities. The conservation efforts have led to the increase of mountain gorilla numbers from about 300 in the 19th century to about 1000 mountain gorillas in the wild today.

Gorilla trekking is also worth because the money got from gorilla permits is used for the conservation efforts of this great apes, the conservation efforts will enable the upcoming generations to also see mountain gorillas so everyone who treks mountain gorillas contributes to conservation.

Conservation of mountain gorillas is also worth considering the fact that the local communities also benefit from gorilla trekking, Uganda allocates 20% of gorilla trekking fee to the locals and 10% is allocated to the locals in Rwanda. This has also led to creation of awareness of the importance of mountain gorillas and locals no longer have to poach mountain gorillas for bush meat because their contented with the money given to them.

In conclusion gorilla trekking a worth life time experience that every traveller should try and most of those who have had an opportunity of trekking the great apes have never regretted. There is a high chance of seeing mountain gorillas during the trek.